An immersive dining experience celebrating the rich culinary heritage, traditions, and communities of ancient Tamil Nadu
New Delhi [India], July 16: Continuing this commitment to preserving and celebrating India’s diverse heritage, Mantra Koodam, CGH Earth introduces Diraviyam, a unique culinary experience that takes guests on a journey through the forgotten flavours of ancient Tamilagam.
Rooted in authenticity and inspired by history, Diraviyam celebrates the rich culinary traditions of Tamil Nadu’s historic cultural regions. While the cuisine of Chola Nadu has long found expression at Mantra Koodam’s signature restaurant, Annaprasanna, Diraviyam shines a spotlight on the distinctive food cultures of Thondai Nadu, Nadu Nadu, Kongu Nadu, and Pandya Nadu, bringing together centuries-old recipes, indigenous ingredients, and traditional cooking practices.
At its heart, Diraviyam is an ode to the wisdom of traditional food systems. Embracing the principles of farm-to-table dining, the experience draws upon fresh vegetables, herbs, and ingredients sourced directly from organic gardens, transforming them into dishes that honour the culinary heritage of rural Tamil Nadu.
“A defining aspect of Diraviyam is its deep connection with the local community. Three women from neighbouring villages have been recruited and professionally trained to preserve and present traditional regional recipes. Their knowledge, lived experiences, and personal stories lend an unparalleled authenticity to every meal, ensuring that culinary traditions are not merely recreated, but meaningfully sustained,” said Radhakrishna Shenoi, Assistant Vice President, CGH Earth
“Remaining true to ancestral methods, dishes at Diraviyam are prepared over traditional wood-fired stoves and cooked in earthenware pots, techniques that not only enhance flavour and nutrition but also preserve the essence of regional Tamil cuisine passed down through generations. The restaurant itself has been thoughtfully designed to evoke the simplicity and charm of a traditional Tamil village. With its thatched-roof architecture, natural materials, rustic aesthetics, and open-air ambience, Diraviyam offers guests an immersive cultural experience that transcends conventional dining,” said Harish Venkatasubramaniam, General Manager, Mantra Koodam
Guests are invited to partake in a grand vegetarian feast featuring 28 carefully curated dishes, each representing the diverse culinary identities of Tamil Nadu’s historic regions. Served traditionally on banana leaves, the experience celebrates the timeless customs of Tamil hospitality and communal dining.
More than a restaurant, Diraviyam serves as a platform for cultural preservation, community empowerment, sustainable living, and culinary storytelling. It offers travellers an opportunity to reconnect with the roots of Tamil heritage through authentic flavours, traditional practices, and meaningful human connections.
With Diraviyam, CGH Earth continues its enduring commitment to creating handmade experiences that honour the spirit of place while safeguarding the traditions that define it.
About CGH Earth – Experience Hotels
“God lies in the details, waiting to be discovered”, is the thought that has inspired CGH Earth from the very beginning, and the core values of Environmental Sensitivity, benefitting the community, and being local have always been CGH Earth’s constant guide.
The collection of 26 uniquely different holiday experiences (14 resorts & retreats and 12 intimate villas & bungalows) and 4 curated wellness retreats draws inspiration from the knowledge and practice of the local community. Local architecture, people, cuisine, costumes, knowledge, tradition and customs woven with the needs of the modern discerning traveler is what you get here.
For the guest, these diverse CGH Earth experiences open the door to something far more meaningful than a stay — it offers an immersive, authentic encounter with the land itself, the kind that lingers long after the journey home. For the team, these are ideas and traditions they have always known — now given a place of pride, woven quietly into the very identity of every resort. For the local villager, there is a deep and quiet sense of pride — a recognition that their architecture, their customs, and the everyday rhythms of their lives now sit at the very heart of experiences created for visitors from across the world. And after three decades, CGH Earth continues to do what it has always done — spark a quiet sense of wonder in guests, in its people, and in the villages that have long been partners in the story.
Spice Village, Thekkady; Wayanad Wild; Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom; Spice Coast Cruises, Kerala’s backwaters; Marari Beach, Mararikullam; Brunton Boatyard, Eighth Bastion, Beach Gate Bungalows, and David Hall art Gallery and cafe in Fort Kochi; Casino Hotel and Chittoor Kottaram in Cochin; Lockhart Bungalow, Munnar; Visalam, Chettinad; Pollachi Riverhouse near Coimbatore; Isla’s Ride, Kodaikanal; Marli Hill Bungalow, Ooty; Isai Karai, Mahabalipuram, and Mantra Koodam, Kumbakonam. Maison Perumal, Residence de L’Eviche and Palais de Mahe in Pondicherry; Sanctuary Amaidiyana, Auroville; Coorg Wild Walk and Karthakad Mane, Coorg in Karnataka; Tilar Siro, Andamans; Mansao Cutorim, Goa. And the most recent opening, Singell Tea Estate in Kuseong, West Bengal.
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